Congratulations to the Chenail family of Havelock, Que., who were awarded the Canadian Commitment to Excellence Award by Certified Angus Beef.
Emmanuel Chenail started Ranch Covey Hill in 2015, after selling his construction business. He and wife Brigette purchased what was a run-down operation, and soon the whole family was fixing up the place.
“We couldn’t get through the main driveway, couldn’t even tell there was a pasture there — no fences, rock chains everywhere, no barns — the house was not habitable” says eldest daughter Sabrina.
Read Also
Body condition, nutrition and vaccination for brood cows
One of the remarkable events of the past century related to ranching has been the genetic evolution of brood cows….
The family, which also includes daughter Camille and son Raphael, checked projects off the list one by one, with help from dedicated employees.
Their first 10 Angus females came from neighbour, mentor and friend David Sample, Mac Angus Farms. Quickly growing the herd to 75 cows, the family hosted their first annual Hillspride Sale in February, along with Mac Angus Farms and PJ Ranch from nearby Hemmingford.
“The ideal cow is moderately sized, good-tempered, not too demanding and maternal — easy to look at,” Emmanuel says. “You can’t overlook how important the cow is in terms of herd continuity, easy keeping and ultimately marbling.”
They had to learn basically everything, but that had its advantages, too — no preconceived notions about carcass being at odds with maternal traits.
“Customers want quality. That’s not negotiable: you need to get it right the first time. It’s a priority,” Emmanuel says. “Customers come to us to buy a good breeding bull and maybe to produce cows for their operation. “They’re looking for sound legs, calving ease, healthy teats and meat, for Angus steers is known for its marbling.
“At the end of the day, we do it to put food on people’s tables,” he says.
